London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jun 20, 2025

Security review under way after Hancock film leak

Security review under way after Hancock film leak

A security review is under way at the Department of Health after footage of Matt Hancock kissing his aide was leaked to a national newspaper.

Ministers said the material was captured by departmental CCTV rather than a covert camera.

The Sun said it was passed the recordings by a whistleblower, amid concerns about security in government.

But Labour said the "biggest scandal" was ministers using private email accounts for official business.

On Friday, material of Mr Hancock and Gina Coladangelo emerged, triggering alarm that sensitive meetings and conversations by ministers may be being monitored.

Several ministers have expressed surprise at the presence of CCTV in a government office.

Questioned on a visit to Batley and Spen in West Yorkshire, the prime minister said he was "sure all that kind of thing is going to be looked into".

The security review will be accompanied by a separate investigation into whether there are any implications for arrangements in Parliament.

Asking an urgent question in the Commons, Conservative MP Peter Bone said the issues raised were of "national concern".

He said there was a long-standing rule that secret recordings of MPs by the police, security services or state are outlawed under a principle known as the "Wilson doctrine", named after the former prime minister, Harold Wilson.

Responding, Cabinet Office minister Julia Lopez said the government took concerns about security "very seriously".

She said the footage was recorded by departmental CCTV - which has since been disabled - rather than a covert camera.

But Labour's Chris Bryant said it "blows my mind" that Ms Lopez was suggesting that Mr Hancock knew there was a camera in his office.

And former minister Angela Eagle said Mr Hancock "would not have behaved in the way he behaved right in front of it" if he knew the recording device had been there, adding: "I think she's stretching credibility."


The Cabinet Office's confirmation that the images appear to have come from departmental CCTV rather than any covert camera reduces the sense that this might be a major national security risk.

If someone had infiltrated a camera then it would have raised issues about whether offices needed to be more regularly swept for devices (a time-consuming task, insiders say, especially when lots of people have access).

And given it looks to have been leaked by an insider, there does not appear to have been any role for cyber-espionage or a hostile state which require MI5 to become involved.

But it still leaves some serious security questions unresolved.

Cameras are not normally in private offices so why was this one present?

Was it left over after an office was reconfigured? And why was Matt Hancock unaware of it?

There is also the question of access to CCTV footage.

Parliamentarians want to know which contractors or staff are able to view such images and whether there are sufficient controls and vetting of those individuals.

Private email concerns


Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner told MPs that the issue of private email being used to to conduct government business raised serious questions.

She waved minutes of a departmental meeting, in which she said "senior civil servants report government contracts being approved from the minister's private email address", and said the matter needed to be referred to the information commissioner.

"Our country faces daily threats from hostile foreign states," she added.

"What does it say about this government when they will launch an inquiry into leaks of CCTV but not into their own ministers?"

Ms Lopez said: "Government guidance is that official devices, email accounts and communications applications should be used for communicating classified information."

But she said "other forms of electronic communication may used in the course of conducting government business" and "each minister is responsible for ensuring that government information is handled in a secure way".

She added at the height of the pandemic, ministers were receiving a "huge volume of correspondence" from various sources on their work and their private accounts.

She said: "There were 15,000 offers of help in securing PPE that came in following the prime minister's call for assistance.

"The important thing to note is that when PPE offers did come in, they went through the same eight-stage process, so no matter which way those things were communicated, they went through the same process and that should provide assurance."

The Metropolitan Police said it was "aware of the distribution of images alleged to have been obtained within an official government premises".

But it added: "No criminal investigation has been launched. At this time this remains a matter for the relevant government department."


MPs question a claim that a camera, used to capture Matt Hancock and his aide kiss, "was not covert"


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
UK Home Secretary Apologizes Over Child Grooming Failures
Trump Organization Launches 5G Mobile Network and Golden Handset
Towcester Hosts 2025 English Greyhound Derby Amid Industry Scrutiny
Gary Oldman and David Beckham Knighted in King's Birthday Honours
Over 30,000 Lightning Strikes Recorded Across UK During Overnight Storms
Princess of Wales Returns to Public Duties at Trooping the Colour
Red Arrows Use Sustainable Fuel in Historic Trooping the Colour Flypast
Former Welsh First Minister Addresses Unionist Concerns Over Irish Language
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
France Bars Israeli Arms Companies from Paris Defense Expo
King Charles Leads Tribute to Air India Crash Victims at Trooping the Colour
Jack Pitchford Embarks on 200-Mile Walk to Support Stem Cell Charity
Surrey Hikers Take on Challenge of Climbing 11 Peaks in a Single Day
UK Deploys RAF Jets to Middle East Amid Israel-Iran Tensions
Two Skydivers Die in 'Tragic Accident' at Devon Airfield
Sainsbury's and Morrisons Accused of Displaying Prohibited Tobacco Ads
UK Launches National Inquiry into Grooming Gangs
Families Seek Closure After Air India Crash
Gold Emerges as Global Safe Haven Amid Uncertainty
Trump Reports $57 Million Earnings from Crypto Venture
Trump's Military Parade Sparks Concerns Over Authoritarianism
Nationwide 'No Kings' Protests Challenge Trump's Leadership
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Trump's Anti-War Stance Tested Amid Israel-Iran Conflict
Germany Holds First Veterans Celebration Since WWII
U.S. Health Secretary Dismisses CDC Vaccine Advisory Committee
Minnesota Lawmaker Melissa Hortman and Husband Killed in Targeted Attack; Senator John Hoffman and Wife Injured
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
×